Meditatio

侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán) – Francisco Vallejo Pons
71st Corus Chess Tournament (B Group); Wijk aan Zee, January 31, 2009
Sicilian Defence B30

Notes by 侯逸凡 (Hóu Yìfán), 国际象棋新闻, November 10, 2010.

This is the third consecutive time I have had the honour of participating at Wijk aan Zee Tournament. I thank very much the organisers for giving me such a precious opportunity. I never played before against Vallejo. My first impression of him came from the 1st “Pearl Spring” Chess Tournament held in 南京 (Nánjīng) a while ago, where he served as Topalov’s second.
1. e4 c5 2. Nf3 Nc6 3. Nc3 Nf6 4. Bb5 g6 5. e5 Ng4 6. Bxc6 dxc6 7. h3 Nh6 8. g4. Dominating the h6-Knight. Another way is 8. Ne4 b6 9. d3 Nf5 10. 0–0 Bg7 11. Re1 0–0 12. b3 Nd4 13. Bb2 f5 14. exf6 exf6 15. Ned2 Ne6 16. Nc4 Qc7 17. Qd2 Nf4 18. Re4 Nd5 19. Rae1 Bf5 20. R4e2 ½ : ½ M. Adams – Illescas Cordoba, 48th Spanish Team Chess Championship — División de Honor, Cala Mayor 2008.
8. ... Bg7 (8. ... f5 9. g5 Nf7 10. d3 Be6 11. Qe2 Bg7 12. h4 Bd5 13. Nxd5 Qxd5 14. c4 Qe6 15. Bf4 h6 16. 0-0-0 Rd8 17. Kc2 Kf8 18. Rhg1 hxg5 19. Bxg5 Bh6 20. Bxh6+ Rxh6 21. d4 b6 22. dxc5 Rxd1 23. Rxd1 bxc5 24. b3 f4 25. Qe4 Rh5 26. Qxf4 Qf5+ 27. Qxf5 Rxf5 28. Rd3 Ke8 29. Kd2 Nxe5 30. Nxe5 Rxe5 31. Re3 Rf5 32. Ke2 Kf7 33. Rd3 Ke8 34. Rf3 Rh5 35. Rf4 Re5+ 36. Kf3 Re1 37. Re4 Ra1 38. Re6 Rxa2 39. Rxg6 Rb2 40. Rxc6 Rxb3+ 41. Kg4 a5 42. Rxc5 a4 43. f4 ½ : ½ Khalifman – Lautier, 64th Corus Chess Tournament, Wijk aan Zee 2002)
9. d3 f5 10. exf6. Another standard strategy in such a situation is 10. g5 Nf7 11. Bf4 closing the Kingide, with a future view to attack along the h-file by h3-h4-h5.
10. ... exf6 11. Qe2+

11. ... Kf7. A plot twist along the way: it just seems that my opponent is in a fighting mood. Perhaps it was now steadier 11. ... Qe7!? 12. Qxe7+ Kxe7 13. Be3 b6 14. d4 (14. 0–0–0 Nxg4! — a move I overlooked on the spot — 15. hxg4 Bxg4 16. Nd2 Bxd1 17. Rxd1 h5 and with the two Pawns for the half-piece Black has some compensation) 14. ... cxd4 (14. ... c4 15. 0–0–0 Kf7 16. Ne4 Rd8 17. Nxf6!±) 15. Nxd4 c5 16. Ndb5 Bb7 17. 0–0 Nf7 with chances for both sides. For example: 18. Rae1 Ne5 19. f4 Nf3+ 20. Rxf3 Bxf3 21. Kf2 Bc6 22. Bxc5+ Kd8 23. Nxa7 bxc5 24. Nxc6+ Kd7 25. Re7+ Kxc6 26. Rxg7⯹.
12. Be3 Re8 13. 0-0-0 Kg8 14. d4. At the time I also considered the more seductive 14. Qd2 Nf7 15. Bxc5 Qa5 16. Be3 f5! (16. ... Be6 17. Kb1 b5 18. a3 is complex: Black has compensation but not necessarily an adequate one for the sacrificed Pawn) 17. Rdg1 b5⇄ — but it seemed to me that Black’s gambit would yield a powerful attack, so I didn’t accept it.
14. ... cxd4 15. Nxd4 Qc7 16. Rhe1 Nf7 17. Qc4 Qh2. 17. ... Bd7 18. Ndb5 Qd8 19. Nd6 Be6 20. Nxe8 Bxc4 21. Rxd8 Nxd8 22. Ne4! — Black is about to lose a Pawn, with White on top.
18. Nce2 Qxh3 19. Nf4 Qxg4 20. Rg1 Qd7 21. Nde6

21. ... Qe7. After this move, Black’s game is hopeless. I think maybe he should play 21. ... Qxe6!? 22. Nxe6 Bxe6 23. Qc3 Ne5 24. f4 Nd7 25. Qb4 and in spite of White’s material advantage there is still a long way to go before victory comes.
Now there was another option: 21. ... b5 22. Qc3! b4 23. Qxb4 Qe7 24. Bc5 Qb7 25. Qxb7 Bxb7 26. Nxg7 Kxg7 27.Nh5++−.
22. Nxg7 Kxg7 23. Nh5+ Kh8 24. Bc5 Qe6 (24. ... Ne5 25. Qf4 Qf7 26. Qxf6+ Qxf6 27. Nxf6+−)

25. Rge1! Qxe1 (25. ... Ne5 26. Qxe6 Bxe6 27. Nxf6+−)
26. Qxf7 Qxd1+ 27. Kxd1 Bg4+ 28. Kd2 Rad8+ 29. Kc3 Bxh5 30. Bd4! Yet now White could simply play 30. Be7 Rxe7 31. Qxe7 Rg8 32. Qxb7+− — victory is a question of time only.
30. ... Rxd4 31. Qxe8+ 1 : 0.